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Standing on that stage, she felt like a paper doll cut out.
With a tug, she was led back down the stairs. Immediately, well-wishers swarmed them. His family, their friends…everyone was gleeful.
And it was all a lie.
Because she couldn’t marry him.
Flee.It wasn’t a thought so much as an alarm that rang through her body. She wrenched her hand out of his grip and made her way out of the ballroom. When she saw a sign for a powder room, she ducked inside and locked the door.
Oh, God. What is happening?
As she ran cold water over her hands, she looked up at her wild-eyed reflection. Her pulse pounded violently. Why had he proposed publicly? Now, calling it off would create a scandal.
It didn’t have to be like this.
A hard rap jerked her attention from the mirror.
“Phinny?”Cameron.“Open up.”
Angry that he’d put her in a terrible position, she opened the door, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him inside the lavender-scented bathroom. “What was that?”
His eyes flickered with hurt. “What do you mean, what was that? It was a marriage proposal.”
“But why? Cameron, we’re not ready for that.”
“We’ve been dating for three years. When did you think we’d be ready?”
“I don’t know.”Never. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“What on earth do you think we’ve been doing all this time?”
“We’ve beendating.”
“Yes, on a course toward marriage. Why else would I be exclusive with someone if not with the intention to marry her? Why are you acting like this came out of nowhere? You can’t pretend you didn’t know it was the path we’ve been on.”
She couldn’t argue his point, and it flustered her. Because, really, it uncovered a truth that would only hurt his feelings.I don’t love you. “I can’t possibly get married now. I haven’t done anything with my life.”
His jaw snapped shut like he was trying to contain his anger. “Whatever you want to do, what better way to do it than as Cameron Lumley’s wife?”
Obviously, that made perfect sense. Marrying into one of the wealthiest families in the United Kingdom would afford her any opportunity her heart desired. And it wasn’t like Cameron cared what she did. That wouldn’t change once they got married. He’d still go off with his mates on trips, and she’d go clubbing with hers. Sometimes, they’d do the holidays together, while other times, they’d be with their own families.
She knew exactly what her life with him would look like because that was the kind of marriage his parents had. And she didn’t want to wind up like his mum, spending more time with her wine than her husband.
She pulled off the engagement ring. “I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to get married.”
He just stared at her as though waiting for her to laugh and sayGotcha.Of course, I’ll marry you, silly!“Are you serious?”
“Quite.” His presumption that she’d just fall in line with some plan he’d never voiced irked her. “Cameron, come on. Do you even love me?”
“Of course I do.” He seemed calmer as if they could now settle things. “I like you better than anyone else we know.”
Well, there’s a ringing endorsement for marriage.“And I like you. But I need more time.”
“How much time?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are we talking about a few weeks?”
